Anybody have any tips on how to tell if a floor is Red or White Oak. I installed Red Oak throughout my house so that is my frame of reference when I look at somebody else's floor. The majority of floors that I have seen I would guess to be Red Oak based on grain pattern. I have to install a landing tread for a friend and based on grain pattern I'm guessing the floor is Red Oak. Red Oak landing tread is readily available. White Oak landing tread have to go looking for.

White oak will have less contrast from spring and summer wood when stained. I also can usually see the bright/blond sapwood in white oak. You normally will have a few boards that will have that sap running down the length of the board almost like what you see in hickory. If you look at the edge grain white oak has closed pores where red oak has open pores. I have to get my glasses out to see it but you can see it. last resort woodwise sells a kit to test for the tannins in white oak, you soak some shavings in a an a/b solution and if it turns black its white oak.

Thank You. Good tips. Could the tanin test be done on the side or end of a large piece?

You need about a tablespoon worth of shavings to preform the test. I usually pull a floor vent and scrape the side of a board if i cant remove any.

Thank You!!!

I believe the kit is sodium nitrite solution. We use it to separate the red oak and white oak before we turn them.

Can you take one or two clear digital photos and post it?
With an oil based finish or sealer (and not stained), red oak is generally amber to orange-reddish in tone, whereas white oak is more tan to golden brown. With a water based finish, both species will be much lighter or whitish, but the basic color tones will still be there.

Red oak generally has a thicker or wider earlywood cell layer (the rings you see), whereas the white oak earlywood layer is usually very narrow in width. This is most easily visible on the end of a board or with rift and quartered. When looking down on flatsawn flooring, both species rings can appear wide.

White oak has rays (the cells that are perpendicular to the rings) that are longer (1-2 inches) and are very noticeable as wide ray fleck in 90 degree quartered material. Red oak rays are short (1/2" - 1" long), but can be easily seen due to the lighter colored wheat or amber red oak wood and the generally wider annual growth rings.

If you take a 2 or 3 inch piece of red oak and put the end grain in your mouth you can blow through it. You can not blow through a piece of white oak.